News
The expert speaks: We achieve European productivity in Bulgarian farms following German standards
06.06.2018
Interview with Thomas Frittsche, a German consultant on the design and equipment of livestock farms.
"Together with Agritop, we have designed and built many different types of livestock farms, which are currently profitable on the market and continue to develop. We provide comprehensive consulting to the client - before and during the design and construction of the farm, and our work with him continues even after commissioning. We regularly visit the farms that have already chosen Agritop as their partner."
Mr. Frittsche, could you introduce your joint activity with the company "Agritop"?
- I have been working with the company "Agritop" for more than 10 years. We are mainly concentrated in the design of farms in the livestock sector, and our main goal is to maintain a good level of animal health in order to have higher efficiency.
By following the best practices of Western European countries and applying working solutions, we manage to achieve very high productivity in Bulgarian farms, which we have built together with "Agritop".Is this the formula for high farm productivity?
- The higher we want the results to be, the greater are the demands on the facilities, so our role is to find effective solutions related to high productivity, animal health and hygiene. And all this to work properly with the facilities on the farm. In Germany, as well as in Bulgaria, the milk market is unstable. The formula and our role is to find the solution for efficient operation even in times when the price is not good, so our customers can be competitive again.
What are the most important points in building and equipping a farm?
- Every single stage and moment from planning to installing the equipment of the farm is very important if you want it to be really efficient. But extreme care must be taken in designing.
When designing the buildings, it is necessary to provide enough height to have a larger volume of air. Buildings should be as open as possible along the longitudinal walls with wind-proof curtains. In this way, an optimal humidity level can be maintained in the barn and no drafts are allowed. It is very important when we have a large number of animals to be able to ensure the entry of fresh air into the barn. Because barns with a large volume of air make it possible for animals to be healthier and more productive, and also more fertile. In addition to the air, one must also think about the light in the barn. For example, about 5-7% of barn walls are determined to be open through curtains or windows.
Another very important thing is good farm management. With proper planning and modernization, it is possible to reduce the human factor and shorten the time of processes in livestock farms.
Are you already seeing results from your joint work with Agritop in Bulgaria?
- Together with "Agritop" we have consulted and built many different types of livestock farms, which are currently profitable on the market and continue to develop. The most important thing is that what we do with "Agritop" is not only a one-time sale. We provide comprehensive consulting to the client - before and during the planning and construction of the farm, and our work with him continues even after commissioning. We regularly visit the farms that have already chosen "Agritop" as their partner. These visits monitor how the farm works and functions so that we can provide timely support if needed. This year we are launching a project with which a group of farmers from Germany will come to Bulgaria. They will get to know the structure of Bulgarian farms, they will see under what conditions the farms work, which will be a kind of exchange of experience and solutions.
